BDDesk News
An old man with a wild appearance was seen in a bazaar, causing a commotion. The elderly man introduced himself, claiming to be the son of a local shopkeeper. He said he had left his wife and children here long ago. His words, a mix of Hindi and broken Bengali, left everyone astonished. He mentioned names of his wife and parents, all of whom, he said, were no longer alive. His story was hard to believe even for those who recognized him. It was as if a fairy tale had come to life. The locals in the bazaar could hardly believe that 54 years ago, a missing man named Chaidad Ahmed had returned to his shop.
Chaidad Ahmed’s shop is located in the Lakshmipur village of Noakhali’s Hatia Upazila, Ward No. 5. He returned on May 5. The locals had assumed he was dead. When he left the shop to work on a ship as a young man, he had left behind his wife and a four-month-old son. Now, at 83, he is frail. His son, Nur Hossain, is also 55 now. He doesn’t remember what his father looked like, so seeing him was like meeting him for the first time.
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh — Chaiydur Rahman, a laborer, was working on a cargo ship in Chittagong. Fifty-four years ago, during a storm, the ship sank near Cox’s Bazar’s coastline. He has been missing since, presumed dead by his family. However, he has returned, surprising everyone. People from far and wide came to see Chaiydur. Many wanted to hear about his survival and return.
Chaiydur’s brother, Abul Khayer, recognized him. He is currently staying at his brother’s residence. On Saturday evening, via phone, Chaiydur said that when the storm began, their cargo ship was near Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia area. The ship sank afterward. He doesn’t remember what happened to the others on the ship. He only recalls being in the water for a long time before being rescued by the Indian Navy. He received treatment in India and then traveled to the Taj Mahal area of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. He stayed there until returning to Bangladesh.
Chaity Ahmed claimed that he had Indian citizenship and a passport. Suddenly, he saw his son in a dream, which prompted him to decide to come to the country. He attempted to enter Bangladesh using his Indian passport. However, all his documents were stolen. Later, upon reaching the Jashor border, he informed the Indian border guards about his situation, and they assisted him in entering Bangladesh. From Dhaka, he went to Noakhali and then to Hatia, where he sought help from locals to find his son.
Chaitany Ahmed said that after entering Bangladesh through the Jessore border, he sought help from BGB. He told them he wanted to go to Dhaka first. The BGB then arranged for him to travel by train from Jessore and helped him board the train. He got off at Kamalapur and, upon telling passengers at the station that he was heading to Sonapur in Noakhali, they arranged a rickshaw for him to go to Sadar Bus Stand. From there, he took a bus to Sonapur and then an auto-rickshaw to Chairmughat. He crossed the river from Chairmughat and reached Natchira Ghat.
After arriving at Natchira Ghat, Chaitany Ahmed took a rickshaw to his area in Lakshmipur. After getting off the rickshaw, he introduced himself to the local people as well as his son and brother. At first, the locals, including his son, could not recognize him. Later, Akhtar Hossain, the son of his brother Abu Bakr, identified Chaitany Ahmed when he heard the story from his father and took him to their home.
Chaitany Ahmed has forgotten much of his mother tongue due to his long stay in India, over 54 years. He speaks mostly Hindi now.
Chaity Ahmed’s elder brother, Abul Khayer, said, “When my brother went missing, I was around 10 to 11 years old. His son, Nur Hossain, was just a few months old at that time. We had assumed he wouldn’t return for a long time, so we thought he was no longer alive. I never imagined I’d see him again after all these years. I had almost forgotten his face. Hearing his voice now brings back many old memories.
On one side, Noor Hossain, a son meeting his father for the first time in his life, expressed joy. When asked, he said, “I have never seen my father since birth. He has come back now, which is hard to believe.”
However, he also accused his father of not keeping him in his own house. Noor Hossain claimed that his paternal uncle, Chaid Ahmed, took him to their home but did not allow him to stay there. He has filed a general diary (GD) at the Hatia police station regarding this incident.
Mohammed Kabir Hossain, the in-charge of Hatia police station, said that Chaid Ahmed, who returned after 54 years, was taken by his son to file a GD. The matter is familial, and the police will provide legal assistance if the family requests it.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report